Distinguished Lecture Series

The objective of the Distinguished Lecture Series is to enhance the academic environment through individual discipline and interdisciplinary topics. Supported by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Student Involvement, the series offers the Northwest campus and surrounding communities with opportunities to hear from extraordinary individuals from throughout the globe. Scholars, world travelers and leaders in their fields visit the Northwest campus to share their wisdom, insight and experiences.

All lectures are free and open to the public.

For more information about the Distinguished Lecture Series, contact the Kenton Wilcox, chair of the Distinguished Lecture Series Committee, at kwilcox@nwmissouri.edu.

Dr. Temple Grandin SOLD OUT!

2017-2018 James H. Lemon Lecturer

with additional support from the Northwest School of Education Special Education Programs, the Northwest School of Agricultural Sciences and the Northwest Missouri Local Administrators of Special Education

Temple Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and has been a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Temple’s achievements are remarkable because she was an autistic child. At age 2 she had no speech and all the signs of severe autism. Many hours of speech therapy and intensive teaching enabled Temple to learn speech. As a teenager, life was hard with constant teasing. Mentoring by her high school science teacher and her aunt on her ranch in Arizona motivated Temple to study and pursue a career as a scientist and livestock equipment designer.

Dr. Temple Grandin obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College in 1970. In 1974, she was employed as livestock editor for the Arizona Farmer Ranchman and worked for Corral Industries on equipment design. In 1975, she earned her M.S. in animal science at Arizona State University for her work on the behavior of cattle in different squeeze chutes. Grandin earned her Ph.D in animal science from the University of Illinois in 1989.

After her Ph.D. research on the effect of environmental enrichment on the behavior of pigs, she has published several hundred industry publications, book chapters and technical papers on animal handling plus 73 refereed journal articles in addition to 12 books. Her book, "Animals in Translation" was a New York Times best seller and another book, "Livestock Handling an Transport," now has a fourth edition that was published in 2014. Other popular books authored by Grandin are "Thinking in Pictures," "Emergence Labeled Autistic," "Animals Make us Human," "Improving Animal Welfare: A Practical Approach," "The Way I See It" and "The Autistic Brain." She also has a popular TED Talk.

Grandin has received numerous awards and honors. In 2011, Temple was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. In 2015 she was given the Distinguished Service Award by the American Farm Bureau Federation and Meritorious Award from the OIE. HBO has premiered a movie about Temple’s early life and career with the livestock industry that received seven Emmy awards, a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. In 2016, Temple was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Grandin is a past member of the board of directors of the Autism Society of America. She lectures to parents and teachers throughout the U.S. about her experiences with autism. Articles and interviews featuring her have appeared in The New York Times, People, Time, National Public Radio, "20/20," "The View" and the BBC. She was also honored in Time Magazine's 2010 “The 100 Most Influential People in the World.” Grandin now resides in Fort Collins, Colorado.

James H. Lemon operated a successful farming option in Nodaway County, served three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, starting in 1904. He introduced and fought for the bill that created Northwest, which culminated 30 years of struggle to bring higher education to the region. Beatrice E. Hansen, Lemon’s granddaughter, generously founded the lecture series bearing his name in 1996. Beatrice earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwest and was an assistant professor of business at the University of Northwest Colorado until her retirement in 1979.